Manchester City, Chelsea and a Mighty Morphing Power Ranger

DOUBLE Gameweek 37 Preview: Fantasy Premier League #FPL

You may have heard, there is now a podcast as Bang Average in addition to this column; with John, Ryan and Mike talking all formats of #FPL. Go and subscribe…this will still be here when you get back.

WARNING – #FPL DEADLINE IS FRIDAY 4TH MAY AT 7PM (UK)

It’s finally here, my debut column for YIRMA. While I’d love to claim that John was benched after recommending Jordan Henderson last week, in truth the monster that is GW37 has been saved for me. With 12 teams on a DGW, including 5 of the top 6, it will surely be raining chips across the fantasy world. The 12 teams with an extra games are below, in roughly the order I like their schedules.

None of the teams with single games are appealing and if you’re excited at the prospects of Huddersfield, Brighton or West Ham, it might be time for another Valium. The top teams don’t just have multiple games, they have excellent matchups also!

I’m strongly considering recommending exclusively Man City players. There’s no logical reason to suggest they don’t score 10 goals this gameweek, so I understand of you want to load your team with their attacking players. Frankly, I would, but there is an argument for Laporte instead. At 5.1m he’s pretty cheap and with Stones and Kompany nursing injuries, he’s likely to start both games. Huddersfield have scored twice in their last six games, blanking four times. Brighton only managed to bother the scoreboard in three of six and City have the best defensive record in the league. No team has conceded more goals from set plays than the 19 Brighton have done and while I prefer Otamendi to grab a goal, I want to spend that money on attackers.

Brady has been in my starting lineup since week one and damned if I’m going to change it now. Oh, did I not mention, I don’t really like the official game. I have a podcast (Bang Average) where we talk about it every week, but I don’t like it. At all. (Ed: Yeah, but how do you really feel Michael??) But if you’re reading preview columns in May then I’m probably not talking you out of it. Anyway, Brady had a goal, assist and three bonus in the last match he completed 90 minutes, always a goal threat and takes set pieces.

If that doesn’t float you’re boat, Eden Hazard is also set for a big week. Chelsea have two home games and though guaranteed two game starters are few and far between, Hazard isn’t usually a rotation risk. Liverpool may well rest players after making the Champion’s League final on Wednesday and their defensive depth is roughly the same as Donald Trump’s depth of thought. I also fancy Liverpool to have a bit of a midweek hangover, added to Huddersfield’s garbage away record and I’m all in on Hazard this week.

Personally I haven’t dropped Aguero yet, I probably should do that and replace him with Jesus. You want to start him and Kane, but if I could only have one this week, it would be Jesus. Like I said, City are going to smash this gameweek and Jesus is all but guaranteed both starts. He’s scored in his last four starts, the season being over hasn’t slowed City a jot and Pep has tem revved up to break records. Neither of City’s opponents have full back’s to match up with an in-form Raheem Sterling, even if Jesus plays badly he could score three.

He’s been involved in 10 goals in the last six games, including his assist hat-trick in GW36. That was the tenth time he was involved in multiple goals in a game, only King of Egypt Mo Salah has more with 13 (Kane has eight). Against West Ham, he was unplayable, or at least no Hammer’s defenders came close to managing it and there’s no reason to think Huddersfield or Brighton will do a better job. He had a goal, assist and three bonus in the reverse Huddersfield fixture in November and if you still have that chip thing that gives you quadruple points or whatever, you should be playing it on Sterling. I’d strongly advise you to also play your bench boost in a delightful FPL cocktail that Tom Cruise would have loved to make.

A single game against Chelsea rules Salah out of captain contention and Kane will be fine, but WBA have looked much better under Darren Moore and Newcastle haven’t conceded more than one goal in the last two months. Sterling or Jesus are safer bets and are just as likely to score 20 points this week.

Laporte is 1.4% owned, is that not ‘outside’ enough for you? Fine. Mawson attacks the ball well enough to carry a goal threat, will start both games and neither Bournemouth nor Southampton should put you off. Swansea got clean sheets in both fixtures earlier this season, there’s a good chance they manage the same at least once this week.

Ah, finally, a game of skill. Seeing as you probably can’t even get Laporte on waivers, I’ll give you someone less than 50% owned in Chilwell. Even in the Togga scoring format he’s been a little boom and bust, but has two assists and two clean sheets in the last six games. The Foxes were embarrassed last week, but so were West Ham and I expect some reaction at the King Power, where they have two matches this week.

Mike was asked to provide a bio for himself. He didn’t. So I’ve provided a character overview of Trini Kwan – the original Yellow Power Ranger. It’s pretty much Mike’s life story anyway..

“In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, MIKE makes her first appearance performing a Kata on the first episode. When Rita Repulsa escapes and begins wreaking havoc on earth, MIKE, along with her close friends Jason Lee Scott, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston and Kimberly Hart, is one of the five teens chosen by Zordon to receive a great power, drawn from the spirits of the prehistoric animals. These powers give them the ability to transform into a fighting force known as the Power Rangers. MIKE is chosen for her compassion, quick wits and martial arts talent, and becomes the Yellow Power Ranger, given the Saber-Toothed Tiger Power Coin and the Saber-Toothed Tiger Dinozord.[3]MIK is well-versed in kung fu. She would later become proficient in the art of Praying Mantis Kung Fu. MIKE’s signature fighting style included lightning fast maneuvers, and powerful high kicks.[4] She attempts to neutralize foes with the least amount of force. MIKE is one of the intellectuals of the team, often having to translate JOHN’s techno talk for RYAN.

Generally soft-spoken and polite, MIKE is a calm and warm person. She is an environmentalist. She is prepared to both push herself and put herself in danger for those she loves.”